It's early in the morning, but the departure gate at Incheon International Airport is already crowded with vacationers leaving the country for their summer holidays.
And, fortunately for them, strong winds and rain brought by this season's typhoons didn't stop flights operating to their normal schedule.

(Korean, )
"I saw people waiting in long lines at the check-in counter. I couldn't wait that long, so I used the unmanned check-in system."

With the summer holiday season in full swing, the number of passengers using Incheon International Airport reached an all-time daily high over the weekend.
It recorded a total of 1-hundred-58-thousand passengers on Sunday, breaking the previous record of 1-hundred-56-thousand set the previous week.
Compared to the record daily number of tourists set last year, the figure represents a 10-thousand increase.

Experts attribute this recent trend to the surge in low-cost carriers and also to the strong local currency.
To deal with the growing number of outbound travelers, the airport has stationed six additional security checkpoints and opened its outer parking lot.
As the summer peak season continues until mid-August, officials plan to open check-in counters half-an-hour earlier at 6:30 a.m.

(Korean, )
"We estimate the daily number of passengers from airlines' data to better prepare and provide the best service, especially during peak hours."

Officials advise passport holders to process their documents through the unmanned screening system to make the immigration procedure easier and less time-consuming.
Sohn Jung-in, Arirang News.